For an infidel, what’s most noticeable is that the day-lit streets are suddenly empty. The next thirty days (or so) are marked by prayers and fasting. In a country like Turkey, with an Islamic religious majority, many restaurants choose to close rather than remain open and unoccupied. Even those not fasting feel a strong social pressure to avoid eating in public.

But, that all changes after sunset.

Even before the echos of the maghrib fade, a flood of people pours out in to the green areas and common spaces of the city. What better excuse for a party than hunger?